Whispers of An Angel
by MakoMitsuki
Summary: Len is living in a world of madness, with a spoiled brat Rin, an aggressive Meiko, drunkard Kaito, neat freak Gakupo and 'motherly' Luka all living in one roof. But where's Miku? You'll be surprised when you find out.- LenxMiku with a lot of tragedies.
1. Me Versus The World

_A/N: I am so busy with school but yet again, I was able to make another fan fiction. This was supposed to be just another oneshot, but since I feel it wouldn't be enough, why not make it a short novel? LenxMiku story incorporated with ideas from some well known novels I read. One of the novels I read made the most impact on this story, so just go ahead and guess what novel it was. For now, enjoy and don't forget to review. ^^_

_This story is dedicated to Kazusa_Mizu25 and chise richio, my kouheis/imootos, who patiently read my hideous drafts. ^^_

…_.._

**WHISPERS OF AN ANGEL**

**A Vocaloid Fanfiction**

LEN

…

If only I could find the strength to take another deep breath. If I could, then I'd scream to the heavens to give me justice, to take me now and as soon as possible.

…

I was becoming impatient. I couldn't take this pain anymore, yet I was dying an impeccably slow death.

I lay motionless on the marble floor. I was weak. I was helpless. I was covered with bruises and scars. My voice was choked up by sobbing and any word that would come out of my mouth would just turn into a faint whimper. All I can do is cry with my bloodshot eyes.

...

In the cold winter's night, the voice of someone I don't know is ringing in my head.

…

**xxxxxx**

**[1: ME VERSUS THE WORLD]**

**xxxxxx**

"Hey, wake up you sleepyhead."

A tiny high-pitched voice whispered against my ear. I opened my eyes to check who was making that irritating sound. I rolled over the bed to face the window wall which was still pitch black like the night. No one was there. I rolled over again to see the nightstand. The small gray digital clock on top of it read half-past five in the morning. I rolled halfway this time to check in front of me. Nope, no one is there.

I felt my eyelids getting heavy again. I felt like I needed more sleep. So I curled up with a pillow in my arms and shut my eyes closed.

...

"WAKE UP!"

I nearly fell off the bed as the voice got louder this time. It was ear shattering. The explanation for it all was that my twin sister, Rin, was using a megaphone at me.

"LEN, WAKE UP NOW!"

"Sheesh, I'm up! Why do you have to use that freaking megaphone?" I moaned as I got down the bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

Rin striked a haughty pose and flipped her short, yellow hair to the side. She had developed the habit of doing that every time she got her way. It irritated me so much, since she always does that. Simply put, she always got her way. As for me, well, even sleeping without a megaphone shoved in my ear seemed impossible.

"That doesn't matter," she insisted.

"It doesn't matter, right? So I'll just go to bed," I said as I plopped my head against the cushion.

…

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" She cried again through the megaphone. This time, she pinched my ear and pulled me up. Now my ears are severed inside and out.

"I should be asking you that question," I muttered.

"Just hurry up, slowpoke. Can you get any faster?" She commanded.

That's also another habit of hers, by the way. She keeps pushing me around like I am her servant or something. In fact, she does that to everybody. That is why everyone calls her Rin "the Spoiled Brat" Kagamine.

As to why I am I obeying almost her every wim, I had no other choice. You don't know what Rin can do to me. She'd punch me, kick me, push me off the stairs, and the worst of all... eat my supply my bananas.

So here I go, Len "the sleepy and tortured Twin Brother of the Spoiled Brat" Kagamine, dragging his feet across the floor and followed after my evil sister to the door.

* * *

><p>My sister and I resided in a nameless integrated dormitory for the past few years. It wasn't the most decent shelter, considering that the rooms were cramped, there was often no reception, and when it rains, the ceiling would leak in the wrong places; but it was closest thing we had for a home. As long as we had a home, then that's good enough for me.<p>

We knew everybody else who live here, too.

…

_CRASH!_

In a blink of an eye, broken glass and pieces of splintered wood were sent flying in every direction in front of us. To my surprise, something was able to make a large hole in the wall and knock a door down.

… Let me correct myself. It was a person.

"You useless old man! When will you learn?" A young red headed girl yelled. Her arms were folded across her chest as she let out a scary aura. She glowered towards a blue haired man that she just launched into the wall.

"But Meiko, my dear, I just took in thirty-two bottles," the man said in a lugubrious air. It looked like he was drunk. Very drunk.

"THIRTY-TWO BOTTLES?" Meiko- the red head- let out in disbelief. "You had thirty-two bottles? Kaito, are you out of your mind? Do you realize that you are just wasting precious money with that stupidity you are doing?"

Kaito- the drunken man- didn't respond anything more than a stupor laugh. That pissed her off and made her throw a chair at him.

"Get a life!" She yelled before storming away.

When she had gone, there was an uncomfortable silence.

…

Meiko and Kaito were childhood friends who later fell in love with each other and got married eventually. They used to be a very happy couple until Kaito started getting drunk each and every night. The reason why he does that? No one knows for sure. What I am sure of is that Meiko doesn't like it one bit. And to make matters worse, Meiko has an unbelievably short temper. So this becomes a normal situation each and every day. Pretty much everyone got used to it.

…

Kaito sat up and noticed that Rin and I were close. He placed his hand on his head. "I messed up again, haven't I?" He asked me.

He had been asking that question for years now, yet nothing I ever say works. So I didn't know what to say to him.

Rin, however, had a lot to say.

"Yeah, you messed up again. Look at what you have done! You just had to break the wall-"

"Meiko-san threw him through the wall-" I corrected her.

"-But if he wasn't drunk again, then Meiko-san wouldn't have had to throw him to the wall and cause this huge mess." She corrected me.

I scratched my head. "Rin, when did you start minding? You didn't have a problem with this before," I asked her.

"I had a problem with it now since I am going to be stepping on this," she cried as she pointed to the floor which was now covered with splinters and broken glass.

I scratched my head again. "If you have a problem with that, then go and sweep that off. There's a broom somewhere in the stock room."

"I don't want to. You go do it yourself."

For the third time, I scratched my head again. "Why can't you do it?"

"That's too much work for me," she reasoned out. "I might get hurt or something."

Face palm. My sister can be so unreasonable at times.

"Get moving, would 'ya? We have places to go. Chop chop." She commanded.

"What places?" I asked, confused. "You haven't even told me where we were going."

"Fix this mess first, and then I'll tell you."

"But-" I started, but she held her hand up to my face before I could say another word.

I was just lucky that before I could even take another step, a violet long-haired man came over.

"Ah! It's such a mess here," he said. At the sight of the shattered glass and splinters of wood, he immediately brought out a pair of disposable gloves and a small garbage bag from his pocket and started picking up the pieces one by one. As he did, he had a disgusted and flabbergasted look.

Rin let out a relieved sigh. "It's about time you got here, Kamui Gakupo-san," she said rudely.

"You should thank me for this," Gakupo shot back as he picked up a large chunk with his pincher. "I shouldn't be doing this because of all the germs that might contaminate me. But I can't afford anymore mess."

...

By the way, I haven't told you guys that Gakupo-the violet haired man- has that thing you call 'Obsessive Cleaning Disorder.' For those who don't know what OCD is, it is a disorder wherein a person is obsessed with cleaning.

Duh.

...

Sometimes I feel guilty because we take advantage of this habit of his. We often leave him to do the cleaning for us. But he doesn't mind, really. He seems to be too preoccupied with cleaning to even bother.

...

"Hey, Rin. Have you told your brother about it?" Gakupo suddenly said, drifting me away from my thoughts.

I looked at both of them dumbly confused. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I wanted Luka-sama to tell him," Rin told Gakupo, completely ignoring me.

"Hey, what's going on? What is she going to tell me?" I was getting more and more confused.

"Go ask her yourself," Gakupo told me.

I felt a sudden surge of fear. What did Luka want to tell me that they didn't?

"I have to go," I excused myself from the three of them.

"Where are you going?" Rin demanded.

"To Luka-sama," I said.

...

"I'm right over here," a voice behind me said.

I turned around to see a a woman with statuesque figure clad in a housekeeping apron. She was standing strong, firm and poised with her arms on her waist. She resembled that of a mighty high-rank officer from the military, someone in higher authorities, or a powerful ruler, perhaps.

But no. It's something else.

...

Ah. That's right. She resembles a _mother_. That's the word.

...

In fact, she WAS one herself. Yes, you heard me right. _Was_.

...

"Here we go again, Kaito-kun. How many times should Meiko kill you before you finally learn?" she began, all business. "And Rin, would you at least help Ga-kun clean up. Ga-kun, that's enough cleaning for now."

"But Luka-sama-" Rin, Kaito, and Gakupo pleaded at the same time, then Luka gave them this scary glare that sent shivers to the spine. Immediately, everything went kaput. They did what they were told to do and started scrambling.

...

After a long moment, of silence, I had to go say something. "Luka-sama-" I said.

"I know what you are going to ask me," she interrupted me before I could possibly say something very stupid. "Go get dressed. We are going to the hospital."

I was confused. "How come?"

She looked at me sternly. "Did you know what happened to Miku-n?"

...

Miku? Does she mean Hatsune Miku?

...

"What about her?" I asked.

...

"You used to like her right?"

...

Huh? What does she mean by all this? And what does Luka's last question have to do with going to the hospital?

...

"Just answer the question," she snapped.

"Uhm. Yeah, I guess," I answered. And it wasn't even a lie.

In fact, Miku and I became a couple.

Sorta. Kinda. Maybe.

... Okay, the last part was a lie. Miku and I never became a couple. We were childhood friends. And I just sorta kinda like her, that's all. She's cute, adorable, cheery and funny. She's nice to everyone, too.

The only problem was that she had the case of _tsundere_-ness in her. So my attempts to confess to her have all gone really awry.

What happened next? I sorta gave up on her. I grew tired, anyways. I figured that it would be best if we just stay as friends.

...

"So what happened to Miku-san?" I finally asked Luka.

There was a long moment of silence. I rocked my heel back and fort as I waited for her response.

...

"She..."

...

Luka's face was even more serious this time. I had the feeling that I wouldn't want to hear the next thing she'll say.

...

"She what?" I said.

...

...

...

"She died."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading chapter one. Please tell me how you guys like it so far. Hope I can make Chapter 2 better. Yosh! ^^<em>


	2. The Little Girl At The Park

_A/N: As promised, here is the update (despite my super busy schedule, with school and other stuff). It kind of sucks, I did some changes with the supposed plot of the first chapter with this chapter, so I will not be surprised if you are going to get confused when you guys read this. Gomen. Gomen. And I'm not sure if it had met your expectations. But I hope I can still catch your interests. Yet again, I'll try to make the following chapters worthwhile reading. Please enjoy. ^^_

**xxxxxx**

**[2: The Little Girl at the Local Park]**

**xxxxxx**

The words that Luka said haunted me. They kept repeating in my head; two words triumphantly mocking me inside and left my jaw dropping. It was just too hard to believe.

...

"She died?" I repeated her answer dumbly.

"Yes," Luka answered.

"She died?"

"For crying out loud, she died. Miku-n died."

...

"She died?"

"Do I have to say it to you again?" She frowned at me and sounded irritated this time. "And why are you overreacting? I know everyone would be as shocked as you when they find out that someone they know is dead. But you... Are you her boyfriend or something?"

...

"She died?... I mean... What the...? Of course not! Me and Miku-san? Tch. What made you bring up something as absurd as that?" I exclaimed, faking a laugh as I went on. "I mean, why would I even care? We're not even related or anything. And I'm overreacting? Boy, Luka-sama. That was some joke..."

...

My voice trailed off as she looked at me with an anxious expression, almost like she was waiting for me to say something else.

"What?" I asked her dumbly.

…

"I'm just kidding you."

"W-what did you say?"

"I said, I was just kidding you."

…

"So Miku's not yet dead?"

"Nope."

…

…

So it was all just a stupid joke?

…

"Rin woke me up so early with a megaphone just so you could talk to me. Then, it was all just a big freaking joke. Great, Luka-sama. Just great. Keep scaring the living hell out of me," I murmured sourly.

…

Luka composed herself. "But we are still going to the hospital. Miku may not be dead, but she got in an accident last night."

"Really? What kind?" I composed myself, too, trying not to sound too surprised.

"No one knows for sure. All I know is that she was found unconscious in the local park last night,"

...

I stared at her, perplexed.

…

The local park?

...

That was where I used to hang out when I was little.

...

It also brings back so many memories.

…

...

* * *

><p><em>"Come on. Stop being such a crybaby," a stubby kid said arrogantly to a wee little five year older.<em>

_This is a common scene in most playgrounds, when the local park's resident bully would- you know, do stuff to poor little inferiors._

_In this story, the 'bully' was a chubby kid named Haru Moruna. He was the richest kid in the block and because of that, he pretty much thought of everyone as his 'subjects' Those who disobey him will get severely punished by his annoying drones._

_..._

_That day's victim was a little yellow-haired five year old boy who bumped into Haru and spilled apple juice all over Haru's shirt. His name's Kagamine Len._

_..._

_Woops. That's me._

_..._

_"I-I'm sorry. It was j-just an accident," I said with a quivering voice._

_"An accident, huh? You think I'd forgive you that easily for ruining my shirt?" Haru glowered at me. "And what's this on your hand?"_

_I looked warily on my left hand and saw that I was carrying a bag of candies I was going to share with my sister, Rin._

_"Give me that," he said as he snatched the bag from me._

_"Hey! That's mine," I demanded._

_"It's mine now," he snorted. "Beat it kid."_

_"Give that back," I demanded. I was clearly insulted by this brute._

_"What if I don't want to?" Haru asked sarcastically._

_"You're gonna get a piece of me," I answered back. It came out of impulse. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but it just came out._

_..._

_And it turned out to be a big mistake._

_..._

_"L-let go of me," I begged. He grabbed me by my shirt and held me up like some toy. I I squirmed with all my might to break free, but I couldn't escape from his grasp._

_"Aww, look at him go," Haru teased. His drones laughed meniacly at my torment._

_..._

_"Let go of him, you big jerk!"_

_..._

_A tiny voice spoke up from behind us._

_I looked over Haru's shoulder to see a tiny little girl with twin-tailed sea green hair stand firm on her ground._

_"I said let go of him, or else you're going to be in big trouble," the twin tailed girl repeated._

_What? Is that girl trying to save me or something?_

_Haru's jaw flexed. "Trying to save your boyfriend, punny? Well, get lost," he crowed at the girl._

_"I have a name, you idiot," the girl corrected, seemingly unafraid of the horrible person._

_"Whatever, punny," he said rudely. "Now scram before I turn you and your precious little boyfriend into mini punching bags."_

_"I'm not afraid of you," the girl answered bravely. "I'm not afraid of people who hurt other people and has apple juice spilled all over their shirts."_

_..._

_Facepalm._

_..._

_"You want a fight? I'll give you a fight. But I promise it'll not be much of a fight," he smirked._

_Haru let go of me, dropping me to the ground. I felt a low thud as I crashed to the ground._

_"L-like I said, I am n-not afraid of you," the little girl stammered._

_This time, she didn't look so strong anymore. Behind her attempt to keep a brave-looking façade, she started to look like a little girl. Innocent. Fragile. Tangible. Defenseless._

_..._

_I looked at Haru. He had a smug look on his face._

_"You don't look so tough now. What's the matter?" he asked the little girl sarcastically._

_He cracked his knuckles. He flexed his arms. He was really preparing to pumell that defenseless girl._

_"N-nothing," the little girl insisted. Now her knees were shaking._

_..._

_"NO!"_

_..._

_..._

_The next thing I knew, everything went black._

_..._

* * *

><p>"Hey Len, are you still there?" Luka snapped, breaking me from my reverie.<p>

"Huh? Oh yeah. Of course I'm still here," I told her.

"Is there something bothering you, Len?" She asked in a low and modulated voice.

I didn't respond at first, suddenly somber.

...

"No, not at all," I replied.

"Are you sure?" She asked again.

...

* * *

><p><em>I wasn't sure where I was at the time. All I can recognize from my disoriented world is a faint light against the darkness, an excruciating pain and a voice whispering in my ear. Soon, I was able to recognize quite a familiar figure inches away from my face.<em>

…

_"Are you okay now?"_

_"Where am I?" I asked the figure._

_"You're on earth, silly," the figure replied with a giggle._

_I shook my head and tried to make sense of everything around me. I looked around and was surprised to see that I was still in the local park._

_..._

_The more surprising part is that I found myself on the little girl's lap._

_..._

_I cringed away from the girl._

_"W-what happened?" I demanded._

_"Please remain seated," she requested, not answering my question. "I'm not yet done treating your bruises yet."_

_..._

_A bruise?_

_..._

_"You tried to save me from the monster's fatal blow then you were sent flying to the tree. You became unconscious afterwards," she explained._

_"What? I did?" I felt my forehead with my palm and felt a large lump with a piece of cloth across it._

_"Yes, you did. And please stop touching it," she reminded me._

_"Oh," I assented. I did as told and sat at the open space next to her._

_..._

_"How long was I unconscious?" I asked her._

_"I think you were out for an hour," she mused._

_"An hour?"_

_"Pretty much."_

_"It was that bad?"_

_"Most probably."_

_"..."_

_"Don't worry, I think you'll heal in no time."_

_"How can you tell?"_

_"I just know it."_

_"Oh."_

_"..."_

_"How did you learn to do this, by the way?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"This thing on my head... how did you learn to do it?"_

_"Ah. That bandage."_

_"So that's what you call it."_

_"Yes, it's a bandage."_

_"Where did you learn this stuff?"_

_"This stranger wearing white clothes taught me. The stranger called himself a bokuta."*_

_"What is a bokuta?"_

_"I don't know. But he has some sort of magical tricks up his sleeve."_

_"Wow. What kinds?"_

_"He can remove scars from your skin, or he can take away coughs and colds, or he can make the blind see."_

_"That's amazing."_

_"I know, right? Someday I want to be like that bokuta."_

_"Me, too. Or I want to be a singer."_

_"Yeah. I want to be a singer, too."_

_"Maybe when we grow up, we could be famous singers."_

_"That'd be cool."_

_"Yeah."_

_..._

…

_I paused for a while and reminded myself the fact that I talking to a twin-tailed stranger while I have this grotesque bruise on my head. Oddly enough, I felt comfortable talking to this stranger._

_..._

_..._

_We sat in silence for a few moments._

_..._

_"Hey, I almost forgot," she suddenly asked._

_"What is it?" I said._

_"What's your name?"_

_"Kagamine Len," I replied. "How about you? What's your name?"_

_"I'm Miku. Hatsune Miku."_

_"Miku? That's a wonderful name," I commented._

_"Thanks," she said sheepishly._

_..._

_There was another awkward silence._

_..._

_I looked up and saw the sky suddenly turn into shades of orange and yellow. The sun was beginning to set against the crimson sky. I didn't know that it was this late already. Soon, the evening twilight studded with stars will take over the heavens. The sky looked like a big piece of tangerine candy right now._

_..._

"_It's getting late. I have to get going," she said as she stood up and smoothed her dress. I followed after her, slowly getting up._

…

_"Wait. I want to give you something before I leave." She brought out a plastic bag from her pocket and handed it to me._

_I looked inside the plastic bag. Oddly enough, it was candy._

"_What is this for?" I asked._

"_That jerk, Haru, stole your candy right?" She prompted me._

…

"_I… Uhm. I mean… You didn't have to," I told her. "I mean, I felt badly enough that you had to take care of me, and…"_

"_Don't worry about it," she insisted. "Take it as a little gift from me to you."_

_I didn't know what to say to her._

…

"_Goodbye, Kagamine-san, it was nice meeting you," she bid farewell before turning around to head home._

"_Goodbye," I yelled back, but it was a second too late. She was already out of sight._

…

_It was getting dark out here so I decided to head home, too._

…

…

_As I was walking along the road, I caught a glimmer in the corner of my eyes._

_It looked like it was coming from the other side of the road._

…

_I ran as fast as I could, pushing my legs faster to see what it was._

…

_When I came to a screeching halt, I saw it._

…

…

* * *

><p>...<p>

"The reason why I wanted to especially talk to you about this is that you are the closest person to Miku-n."

"…Huh?"

Luka frowned at me. "Kagamine Len, snap out of it."

"I'm listening," I told her.

…

I met her gaze. "And I totally doubt that I'm so close to her," I mumbled.

"You've known each other since forever," she reminded me.

"I still don't see why I have to play a big part in this whole fiasco," I told her.

…

_Dring. Dring._

All of a sudden, Luka's phone started ringing. She broke out from our conversation and picked up the receiver.

"Hello. This is Megurine Luka speaking," she said in a business-like tone. "Ah, I see. Yes. We are about to leave now. I just had a few things to arrange."

I watched her as she spoke to the person at the other end of the line.

…

Then suddenly, her expression changed.

"Huh? What did you say? … What! That's impossible. I… Since when…?" She shrieked through the receiver.

I looked at her wordlessly. I don't know what the heck she was saying.

"I'm hanging up now," she said, abruptly slamming the receiver to the table.

"W-what was that?" I finally asked Luka.

…

_I heard a little voice cry into the heavens._

"_Hatsune-san!" I yelled as I saw her drop to the floor and break out in pain._

"_K-Kagamine-san," she began to say, but her voice was choked up by her tears._

_She flung her arms around me and broke into tears. She was in so much pain._

_I didn't know what to say to her. We were just children, after all._

_The whole street was surrounded by a strange and ominous orange light._

…

_Sparks flew off from every direction. I watched as it enveloped us._

"It was from the hospital where Miku was…"

I had the feeling that I didn't want to hear what Luka-sama had to say, even more so after the terrible prank. This time, I guess, she serious.

…

_Her house was on fire._

"The hospital… it's on fire."

…

…

* * *

><p><strong>xxxxxxxxxx<strong>

_I seem to be very redundant these days, ne? But go on ahead. You know what to do._

_*BOKUTA actually means "doctor." It's just that five-year-old Len cannot pronounce it properly so it sounded like bokuta._


	3. Fire

_A/N: So I have been blessed again with a one-week semestral break from school. Because of boredom (and totally screwing all homework given), I decided to go to . It's been like five months since I last updated this fic. Heck. It's been five months since I last wrote a story. And I continued this just before the periodicals came up. I don't know what happened, but the inspiration just came to me in the midst of cramming for the test. So all you people out there, be thankful for my weird procrastination habits. Heheh._

_Gah~! I miss you FanFiction! ._

_Sorry for the extremely long wait. To my faithful readers, you must have lost interest in the story. But then, I'm going to work hard to win it back one chapter at a time. So here it is. R&R&Enjoy!_

**xxxxxx**

**[3: Fire]**

**xxxxxx**

It's funny how life throws you into all sorts of different situations you aren't prepared for. We are all like hopeless players in life's tormenting game. Sometimes, I feel like screaming, "Hey life, give me a break will 'ya?" But unfortunately, life doesn't listen. And worst of all, you would end up making a fool of yourself.

Well, I cannot say that I speak for all, but for most of my life, I have carried pain and suffering, often a result of wishful thinking, especially when I fail to obtain what you aspire to achieve. I have always wished for a normal life. And who wouldn't want a normal and peaceful life in this crazy, messed up world? This constant fear of choosing between what is right and what is not: it's placing me in a cage and preventing me from setting my own soul free and t the life I had always wanted.

Like life and its moments, it chose to redeem me in a way that I never imagined possible and it was because of that fateful day, my life changed forever.

* * *

><p><em>I didn't let the fire shake me. Neither have I bothered to look into the depths of the flames. This fire would end soon, I kept on thinking. But even when I look away, a haze of orange light spread across the lonely neighborhood had me turning back. I can smell the smoldering embers. The smoke suffocated me. Its taunting dance over the scarred house sent me. What was I to do? I was just a mere five-year old who just gets beaten up by bigger kids.<em>

…

_I have to stay calm. And with that thought in mind, I pulled on one of my masks to hide my trembling form and let my stronger self take control._

…

"_A-are you alright?" I finally managed to choke out._

…

_The little girl beside me didn't respond. She just stared blankly at the burning building. I doubted if she was even breathing, seeing that she just stood there motionless._

_She was looking at hope found through the thick black clouds in the form of the still unsigned curtains on the window of her house._

_I followed her gaze into the raging fire. All I can see is fire._

…

"_M-M-M…" I heard her choke out._

_I reverted my eyes towards her. Suddenly, her tears flowed down uncontrollably across her cheek._

_I panicked. She was crying now. God, what do I do?_

…

"_M-m-m-mommy. D-d-d-daddy."_

…

_Mommy? Daddy?_

_I looked back to the flaming house and suddenly felt a lump on my throat. I swallowed the fear and gathered the courage to say something to her._

…

_But what should I ask her?_

…

"_Your parents… are they're in there?" I said quietly._

_Ugh. What a dumb question. Way to get here more depressed._

…

_She didn't respond with anything more than a nod. She just kept crying and crying. Her tears fell non-stop. Fear, despair, all of it: it was spread all across her face._

…

_I joined the little girl by her side, said nothing further and placed my hands over hers to hold them reassuringly. I wish I could do more. I wish I could stop this fire, salvage the ruined house, and save her parents. I wanted to ease her pain, to end all her sufferings, and return that wonderful smile from this afternoon. _

_But unfortunately, I can't. That was all I can do. I can only reassure her that despite all the things she held dear was crumbling down into ashes on her feet, everything will be alright._

…

* * *

><p>"Everything'll be alright, Len," Luka cried gently as she squeezed my hand. "Have a little faith."<p>

I sat at the back seat of Meiko's beaten up Mercedes, tapping impatiently at the worn out leather seat. Luka sat in front, making sure that our aggressive driver- and sadly the only driver in the household who is not the drunkard Kaito- took us to the hospital safely. I fidgeted in my seat, not only because we were going at an unbelievable, heart-stopping rate of ninety miles per hour, but what scared me is what lies ahead of me.

Although my exterior was calm, I couldn't help but hope thinking, "Hey, Maybe it isn't as bad as it is. Maybe only parts are burnt and not the whole thing. And if the hospital is really burnt down, maybe Miku'd probably be escorted out to safety. Yeah. That's it, Len. Calm down. Everything's completely under control…"

* * *

><p><em>After what seemed like forever, I heard sirens blaring from afar. Moments later, firemen- all clad in their suits and protective gear- started coming down from the bright red fire trucks, brought out their hoses and started blasting the flames with water.<em>

_I watched as the flames danced when the water touched them. We watched on for what seemed like days on end, but slowly, the flames started dying. Unfortunately where relief started setting in, profound pain also weaved its way into my body causing me to wince slightly with the growing constant pang in my heart._

"_Everything is under control, Miss. We'll have the fire out in no time," one of the firemen told the little girl reassuringly._

_She was shaken, and it was very evident across her face. She could not breathe. She could not even stand. I had to help her up just so she could stand. She took one shallow breath at a time. With one final breath, her eyes looked up towards the clad-up adult. She was furious this time._

"_E-everything is under control? You think everything is under control?" She blurted out, trying to fight back the tears and the sobbing that boiled up in her chest._

_I was as struck as the fireman was. He put on a fake smile to reassure the little girl. "Now, now, little girl. Everything's just fine. If you can just calm down for a while and we'll…"_

_She pointed a wary finger towards the charred remains of a once beautiful house and shouted, "Calm down? Calm down, you say? Mister, do you really think I can calm down after everything that's happening to me? You think that everything would be under control now that my house is in ruins? That everything would be okay after everything I've owned is in ruins? Do you think that after I have witnessed myself the death of my beloved parents- my wonderful parents who gave everything to me and now were mercilessly swallowed by the flames- I'd still be okay? Do you? DO YOU?"_

_She then stopped, heaving every last bit of resentment out of her, after which she fell down on her knees and just started crying again._

…

_"Look, kid. We don't know what caused the fire. But I'm sure after the investigators would come and look this up in the morning, I'm sure we'd find something. Stay calm," he said despite the outburst. He just patted her shoulder and nothing more._

…

_Finally, the smoke disappeared as well and the firemen began stepping out of the house one by one. I turned my attention back to the firemen and after hearing him explain about the dangers and rubble. Then they went back into the still steaming house along with the fire brigade to retrieve whatever important documents we could find._

_I doubt the little girl wasn't prepared for what she was about to see when they stepped in. But we did, out of curiosity and so much worry, despite how much the older men wanted us to move away. I stepped inside with the little girl in tow, and the first thing that hit us was the suffocating smell of soot, which as soon as breathed in, left a rancid bitter aftertaste at the back of our throats. The ground floor was completely flooded due to the large volume of water used to douse the fire. The walls were dripping wet with water marks trailing soot. The furniture had all been soaked and ruined and the pictures hanging on the walls looked like someone had dragged a damp wet cloth over them to smudge their colors in fury. The staircase, which was the main centerpiece of the hall, was murdered with roof tiles that had fallen through the collapsed ceiling._

_We went upstairs, and it was the same scene all over again. Black charred walls, ceilings, everything. If not burnt, then it was reduced to mere ashes._

…

_Right behind me, the other firefighters and volunteers passed on a stretcher covered in white cloth. There were two of them, actually._

…

_I knew what this meant._

…

_I covered the little girl's eyes so she wouldn't see. And I took her down, back to the streets, away from the rubble and into the crowded people._

_The neighbors were pretty skeptical about their explanation for an accidental cause due to their habits of burning paper charms. But whatever the reason was, I couldn't care less about the gossiping whispers around us. All I wanted was it to be over. For now._

…

* * *

><p>I tried to bury the dread, my breaths short as I mustered all the restraint I had to avoid jumping out the door and making a run for it. I was so anxious to get to the hospital and to Miku that the 10 minute rush almost felt like hours.<p>

Meiko made the final turn, parked the car some distance from the scene and the many people who had flocked there.

As the car came to an immediate halt, I opened the door and rushed to the scene. As would every major commotion would bring up, there are hordes of people, swarming around in circles like some frantic ants. Firefighters were nowhere in sight- funny because the place is a damned hospital. All I can see is the endless pit of fire. The whole place was lit up by the fire. And everywhere I looked, I could see hell.

My eyes pored over to a group of men and women in white over by one corner. They were the local doctors and nurses who were evacuating the patients out of the burning building. They carried stretchers, wheelchairs, dextrose, and other what-not with them, along with the poor and unlucky patients who inspite of the bad condition that they already are, were forced to run for their blasted lives.

I didn't care about that now. Instead, I ran over to the men and women clad in white, an outraged masked worn upon my face. I can feel my heart pumping nervously and my hands shaking tensely as I spit out the words in their damned faces…

"Miku! Where the hell is she? WHERE IS MIKU?"

…

* * *

><p>…<p>

"_Young man."_

_Huh?_

_I looked up to see a fireman come up to me._

"_Who, me?" I asked him dumbly._

"_Yes, you." The fireman repeated._

_I looked back at him with a really confused look._

"_Are you and the little girl related?" He asked me._

_I shook my head meekly as if to say no._

_He scratched his head. "Well, kid. You seem to be pretty close to her," he commented._

"_A-actually, we've just met," I defended myself._

…

"_Well, there's something I need you to do."_

…

…

"_W-what do you want me to do?" I asked him hesitantly._

…

* * *

><p>They did not answer me. All they gave me was a sorry shrug.<p>

…

By now, Luka and Meiko came up to me with a worried look.

"Did you find Miku-chan?" Luka asked me softly.

I didn't respond anymore. I fought the urge to burst into tears.

Whatever I do, I have to stay calm. I had to tell myself not to get intimidated by the hordes of people trying to get a good look of the scene. I tried not to get intimidated, as I just pushed my way through them, not caring even if Luka's screaming at me not to come closer to the now burnt up hospital building. I am very aware that the whole place is ablaze. But that didn't stop me.

…

* * *

><p><em>I stopped breathing for a moment. I had a feeling I wouldn't want to hear what the fireman had to say next.<em>

"_Are you living with someone right now?" He asked me._

…

_Wait. Why is he asking me that all of a sudden? I thought that the problem was the little girl. Not me. But I gave him an answer anyways._

"_Well, I'm living with some people right now," I said._

"_With your parents?"_

"_No, Mister. My twin sister and I never got to see our parents. We live with Megurine-san at downtown Sapporo."_

…

_The man scratched his head._

"_That's too sad."_

…

"_Then I'd have to call the orphanage then."_

_The orphanage?_

_If I can remember, Rin and I used to be in that orphanage. It was a very dull place to be in. You are surrounded with nothing but gray walls and everyday was a misery._

…

_I wouldn't want that to happen to the poor little girl. She had gone through so much now. And she doesn't deserve this kind of misery._

_Even if we just met today and she's still a total stranger to me, I felt that I need to do something._

…

...

...

I pushed my legs further as I broke into the flames.

_I gathered the courage to say one last thing._

…

"_I will take care of Miku-san."_

Miku, I'll take care of you.

…


	4. I Promise

_A/N: Yet again, another free time, another update. Well, actually, I had an early break from school. And yes, even as early as the beginning of December, I had my early Christmas break. Explanations? No need for that I guess. It will take yet another story to write when I really should be focusing on this fic._

_I'm extremely sorry for making you guys wait for more than an ENTIRE MONTH just for an update. I wasn't even sure if I was even giving you, guys, the thrill and whatsoever you need to be feeling when you are reading this. I feel like crying and wanted to call it quits, but the story must go on._

_As usual, your reviews are highly appreciated. Enjoy this chapter, everyone! ^^_

_[This is a flashback chapter by the way, which explains why most of the text is in italics. I felt the need to dedicate this as a flashback for better explanation of the series, as well as to support the plans that my more naïve and younger self made months ago. If you are not a fan of flashbacks, I assure you there'll be no more flashbacks in the next chapter or so. ^^]_

**xxxxxx**

**[4: I Promise]**

**Xxxxxx**

First of all, what is a promise?

…

I looked it up in the dictionary and it said that promise is a pledge, an oath or an undertaking to do or not to do something. It is an obligation of some sort that will affect a certain event in the future. So simply put, it is something that brings out an expectation to others. When you make a promise, you are expected to fulfill that promise by all means, since you have pledged and assured to everyone or to yourself that you would do it.

'_I promise to be there on my son's birthday' _or '_I promise to finish my project before the deadline'_ are some examples of attainable and achievable promises. But as they say, it is not always easy to keep a promise. What if you made that promise to be there for your son's birthday when you are working overseas in a faraway country or you made that promise to finish a building that is complicatedly designed when you are only just an amateur architect? It suddenly sounds almost impossible to do unless you take drastic measures, like using up a lot of cash just to buy a plane ticket back home or taking risks when building just to finish before the deadline.

This mere word only has two syllables and seven letters. It seems to be a small word compared to the other thousand words in the dictionary. But to one person, this word can mean everything.

Hope, love, and most of all, trust can be associated with a promise. When a promise is broken, there are serious consequences at hand. Everything will crumble beneath your feet, crushing hopes into mere ashes, flavoring the sweetness of love with the bitterness of hate and resentment, and breaking trust, something that takes a long time and a humungous effort to earn.

…

I know you are all thinking that I'm being a bit dramatic with that statement. But I'm just telling a fact, aren't I?

…

I, for one, have made a lot of promises in my life and I would often fulfill them despite all the odds. It is all because I didn't like to face the bad consequences when I didn't fulfill them. Never in my life have I turned back on a promise albeit how much I regretted making them in the first place.

…

So I wasn't turning back on any promise, even that naïve yet noble promise I made when I was five years old.

…

* * *

><p><em>The officer stared back at me with an incredulous look.<em>

"_What did you just say young lad?" He asked me._

"_I said, I want to take care of Miku-san," I repeated for him._

_The officer bent down and patted me on the shoulder. "That's real sweet of you. But seriously kid, you are just a child. You don't need to worry about that kid any further. I already called for the local orphanage to take in the little girl until we could be able to find some of her relatives. They can take better care of her there," he said so heedlessly._

_I stomped my feet stubbornly. "I don't want Miku to go to the orphanage! I don't like that idea one bit! The orphanage is a sad place to be in. Believe me, officer. My twin sister, Rin, and I have lived there for three years surrounded by nothing but the gray walls and the gloomy air. We had a few newspapers and crayons to play with, but that was about it. The rest of the day would be spent sticking our noses out in the cold window, gazing at the endless stretch of pine trees and the wide expanses of the cloudy skies. Every day was an agonizing one, for we would wait endlessly for that wooden door to open up and visitors would come in and play with us. If we get lucky, those visitors would be nice enough to adopt us. But it was only on rare cases. Nobody would bother to come to such a dismal place. I wouldn't want Miku to be there. She's a nice girl, and when she smiles, she brings about that bright radiance. If you just put her in that dismal place, that smile will disappear and that radiance will wither. I want to repay her, as well. She saved me from those bullies earlier. So please, let me take care of Miku instead."_

"_What is going on here?"_

_I heard a voice coming from behind me. I turned around to see a young woman with long locks of beautiful pink hair extending all the way to down her back. She was beautiful and looked vibrant all right, but her face was spoiled with the tiny frown and her forehead creased with so much worry as she looked at me and the officer beside me. Immediately, she rushed to my side and hugged me tight._

"_Len? Len, my dear! Is that you? Len! I was looking all over for you. You got me so worried. Are you alright?" She was extremely worried, evident by her tone and hyperventilation._

_I nodded and reassured her weakly. "I'm fine, Luka."_

_She stroked my ruffled hair. She wiped the dirt and soot from my face with the corner of her sleeve. She held my face with her hand and looked at it very carefully, checking if I was really alright. She looked at me sternly. "What the heck are you doing in this place? Can't you see that building that just burned down? It's not safe to be here. And you are all covered in dirt and sweat. Come with me young man, I'm going to give you a bath as soon as we get back home…"_

"_Actually, Luka, we can't go just yet," I stopped her in midsentence._

"_Why not?"_

…

_I took her by the hand and pulled her to one edge of the sidewalk where the teal-haired girl was._

_Luka was hysterical._

…

"_Who is this girl?" She asked me, beginning to be puzzled._

"_Luka, this is Miku-san."_

_She examined the little girl carefully before turning back to me. "What are you trying to imply?"_

"_You see, that is her house. It burnt down to ashes along with her parents. Now, she has no one to stay with. Can we take her in? Please?"_

_She placed her palm at her forehead and heaved a deep, repressed sigh._

"_This is no stray dog, Len. We can't just take in a girl. It'll be too much of a hassle for me. I still have my work to attend to and I still have you and Rin to keep an eye of."_

"_Then I could take care of her."_

"_That's preposterous. You're just a kid."_

_I stomped my feet harder this time. "Trust me, Luka. I can do this. I do that with Rin all the time back at the orphanage. I could play with her, I could watch over her and I could be her friend. It wouldn't be that hard, right Luka?"_

"_Even so, what if something else happens to her? What if she gets kidnapped while you are not looking? Or what if she gets into an accident? Would you still want to take responsibility of her?"_

…

"_I won't," I finally said._

"_Then why would you suddenly think of doing that if you can't? I told you that…"_

…

"_Luka!"_

_She paused for a moment._

"_Luka. Please let me continue."_

…

_I took a deep breath before I continued._

"_I won't take responsibility for that…"_

…

"…_because that will never happen. I will protect Miku-san no matter what happens. I will never let anything happen to her. That is my promise."_

_I said that last sentence fiercely. Then there was yet another long moment of silence. I can hear my heart thumping harder, and I think I was growing redder and paler at the moment._

…

_I didn't mean to be this rude to Luka. It was just that there is this force pushing me to do this. It was pushing me to defend myself, at the very least, for something that doesn't really concern me. I was surprised at myself that I could be this altruistic at this young age. What is happening? What is this feeling? Len, what the heck are you doing?_

…

_With one final breath, I spoke in finality._

"_Now will you let me take care of her?" I asked Luka pleadingly._

_She was thoughtful for a long while. I waited for her to respond. I wanted this talk to be dealt with and done now as soon as possible. It was getting dark and I was starting to worry about me and for Miku as well._

…

_After a while, Luka finally spoke. "You know, Len, for a kid, you could say such bold words. I will let you have your way. But don't go coming to me whenever you start to regret anything."_

"_I wouldn't," I replied shakily._

"_If you say so, then so be it. Get in the car." She said in a dropped voice. She turned around and started walking towards the street, passing through the crowd and onto the pavement. And with that, the talk was over._

* * *

><p><em>I stood at the edge of the sidewalk, holding open the door to Luka's car. I propped it open and extended my hand towards the young girl inside the car.<em>

"_Come on, don't be shy," I said to the girl._

_She looked back at me hesitantly, but the teal-haired girl took my hand gently. I aided her as she slowly came down the car and onto the ground. Still holding tightly on her hand, I initiated on opening the beaten-down oak door. I took one step in, and she followed behind awkwardly._

"_Welcome to your new home, Miku-san," I said without further adieu. "I'm sure you'll like it here as much as I do."_

_I motioned my hand inside to the receiving hall, a mere tatami-floored room with aged grey walls. Except for the couch, the coffee table and a small altar to the side, the hall looked pretty bare. Miku looked around at her new surroundings._

"_This is the receiving hall. And over there's the kitchen. And that door leads to Luka-sama's room. That flight of stairs right next to it leads to the other rooms," I began unceremoniously, pointing towards the different places in the building. I pointed towards a door leading to the small kitchen, lined with plain linoleum white tiles and stainless steel, where Luka cooks meals for everyone. Then I pointed to another oak door, this time shut, beside it. Then I pointed to a flight of wooden steps running down a narrow pathway leading up to the second floor of the building._

_I then led her to the flight of stairs, ever so excitedly as the child I am, and pulled her behind me. "These are the rooms," I said as I gestured towards the narrow hallway. It was dim all around, with only a single fluorescent lamp to light up the place._

"_These are the rooms," I said to her as we walked. "This room belongs to Kaito-san and Meiko-san. They're living together, by the way. Over here is Gakupo-san's room. Over here is the bathroom."_

_I then motioned to another shut oak door at one side of the corridor. "This is my room," I said to her as I unlatched the knob. The door opened with a creek, revealing a small room with a singular window. On one side of the room, a girl with short, shoulder-length golden hair lay sound asleep under the covers of a light blanket. Miku eyed this girl with fascination._

"_That is my twin sister, Rin," I told Miku in a whisper. "She's a beauty, ne? I absolutely can't wait for you to meet her. You'll become great friends, I'm sure. It's too bad she's asleep now. Maybe in the morning, we'll get to play, just you, me, and Rin. You'd like that, right?"_

_I closed the door gently behind me and led Miku to the end of the hallway. There, a final oak door stood. I unlatched the knob with much force this time around. The knob was rusty and cobwebs were formed around their edges. Nevertheless, I opened the door, revealing a dark room. I fumbled for the switch in this darkness. When I felt the button on one side of the wall, I flipped it open, bringing light all around._

"_This is the guest room," I began. "But Luka told me on the way home that this'll be your room."_

_She looked around nervously. She eyed the walls, covered with cheap wallpaper and more cobwebs in the corners. She looked up to the tattered ceiling down to the cold, marble floor. She eyed the small futon covered in white linen, the only thing in this bare room besides the small mahogany cabinet and a rolled up carpet leaning against the west wall._

"_I'm sorry if this may not be much. But this is all that we could give you as of the moment. We'd be doing repairs and rearranging tomorrow. If only we'd know that you would come, and then we should have fixed it earlier," I apologized to her._

…

"_This is fine now, thank you," she murmured softly, speaking for the first time since the tragedy._

…

_I held my breath as I watched her expression. She was still shaken, but she had softened now, looking around with much more curiosity now without hesitation._

…

_"I see she's already acquainting herself to the place," a voice commented behind us._

_I snapped my head around to the origin of the voice, recognizing the speaker almost immediately._

_"Luka…" I whispered._

_She stood at the doorstep, leaning on its wooden framework. She eyed me intently, then to Miku. She nodded in assent._

"_I think we should leave her alone to rest now, Len," said Luka. "I believe she had quite a day."_

"_Eh? But she just got here," I moaned._

"_It's getting late now and you kids need your sleep," she explained. "Now get moving.I'll give you your bath before you go to bed."_

_Without any more mums towards Luka, I dragged my feet slowly towards the door._

"_But we'll be playing again tomorrow, right?" I asked Luka._

"_Of course, Len. You have all day tomorrow," Luka replied._

"_Yipee!" I shouted in glee. "Hear that, Miku? We are going to play tomorrow!"_

_Miku's lips curled up into a tiny smile._

_I felt a strange feeling sweeping all over me._

…

_I watched as Luka helped her remove her shoes and helped her onto the bed. Once Miku had settled in, Luka tucked her in under the covers._

"_Is there anything else you need?" Luka asked her._

_She made a motion with her head as if to say no._

"_Well, just call me if you need anything," she said with a good-natured grin._

"_See you tomorrow, Miku-san. Get lots of rest, alright? I'll be in the other room if you need me. Goodnight," I bid farewell to her._

_..._

"_G-goodnight, Len," she mumbled back._

…

_Luka flipped the switch and the whole room was enveloped with darkness except for the moonlight casting shadows all over the room. Miku layed there and looked up at the window, her gaze locked intently at it. Before long, she closed her eyes and fell in a deep sleep._

_Slowly, Luka shut the oak door, leaving Miku all alone with her dreams for the night._

* * *

><p><em>Still in the morning, the sun having yet to warm up the air around me, I started walk towards Miku's room. The sun hasn't fully risen, yet there was a tiny hint of sunshine peeping through the spaces in between the blinds.<em>

_"I wonder if she's awake now…" I whispered to myself as I walked. "I hope she had a good night's sleep."_

…

"_Awake now, Len?" I heard a voice coming from behind._

"_G'morning Luka," I greeted her. __Her eyes showed weariness that could only be brought about by a stressful night, yet her body was still as graceful as ever, her slim figure flattered by her silky night gown._

"_What are you doing this early in the morning?" asked Luka._

"_I wanted to check up on Miku," I simply said, pointing to the other side of the corridor where Miku's room was._

_She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a knowing look. "I see, excited to go play with our newcomer, eh?"_

_I nodded profusely._

"_Why don't you have some breakfast downstairs first? She might still be asleep right now," she commented._

…

_I rushed downstairs to the kitchen and found a plate of pancakes waiting for me on the counter._

"_Wow! Pancakes, my absolute favorite! Thanks, Luka-sama!" I cried as I pulled a stool and took my place on the table._

_Luka watched as I picked up my fork and started gobbling down the food she had prepared._

"_You like it?" She asked me as she placed a mug beside my plate, filling it three-forths of the way with water._

"_Mm-hm! I wike ich bewy much!" I murmured with a mouth full of pancakes._

_She grabbed a napkin from the shelf and wiped the corners of my mouth with it. "Sheesh, I told you not to talk with your mouth full," she lectured me._

_I took in one big gulp. "Sorry," I murmured._

…

_I looked at Luka, who was staring back at me intently in the eyes. It made me quite conscious._

"_What's the matter?" I asked. "Are there more pieces of food in my face?"_

_I seemed to have breaked her reverie. She turned back to me in surprise._

"_Oh, what? Nah, it's nothing," Luka replied. "I was just thinking."_

"_About what?" I asked curiously._

_She looked away wistfully. I followed her gaze out the window. Very gradually, beacons of color started painting the sky like some tangerine color._

"_You know, Len, I don't understand you," she finally said._

_I was taken aback by her statement._

"_Well, first of all, you are just five years old and nothing but __a young boy with too many choices to make in the near future. Still, at this young age, you made decisions far beyond your capacities. I wonder how at an age where one who spends days frolicking around without a care in the world were you able to think of doing something like that, taking care of another one more fragile than you are. When I was your age, I could think of nothing but myself. But you… how in the world should I say this? It's just… strange, the way you think. It's so sincere, so selfless, so… Gah! I really don't understand you!"_

_She let out a repressed scream of frustration, took a deep breath and composed herself before she continued._

"_When you confronted me last night about wanting to take care of Miku, I didn't believe what I was hearing. You said such bold words there, Kagamine. I was completely floored, trust me. Though I was touched by your intentions, I just had the urge to refuse it. You were too young. I have told you that last night, right?"_

_I nodded in response._

"_I'm not saying that you can't do it, okay? All I'm trying to imply is that you should not stress yourself out too much. You're just a little kid. You don't want to develop wrinkles at a young age like your old woman over here," her serious tone immediately changed as she joked._

…

_I bit my last piece heartily. Luka smiled at the now empty plate._

"_Gocchiosama!" I said as I picked up the napkin and wiped the corners of my mouth with it. I stood up and gulped down the remainder of the water from my mug. Just as I was about to dash off to Miku, Luka called out to me._

"_Ne, Len," she called out. "Mind watching over the building for me while I'm gone?"_

_I stopped at my tracks. "Why? Where are you going?" I inquired._

"_I'm going over to the police station today," she said as she cleared my dish and placed it on the sink. "I'm going to arrange some papers."_

"_What for?" I inquired again._

"_Duh! What else is it for?" She laughed as if to cue me._

"_You mean…"_

"…_I'm going to take temporary custody of Miku," she finished my sentence. "I wouldn't like it, to be honest. But I'm sure it'll not be that bad."_

_I stared at her wordlessly._

"_What are you staring at me for? Do I also have pieces of food on my face?" She laughed at her own joke._

"_I-It's nothing," I replied. "I'm just really thankful."_

_She came towards me and ruffled my golden hair. "Sure you are," she said casually._

…

_I looked down on the floor, suddenly lost in thought._

"_What's the matter now, Len?" Luka asked, slightly worried._

…

"_Even if you'd take custody of Miku, could I still take care of her?" I asked._

"_You could rest now and relax. You don't have to worry about Miku-san anymore. That's pretty much the reason why I chose this," she explained._

"_Then I'll help you in taking care of Miku," I chimed in._

"_Huh? It's alright, really. I don't need your help. You can just…"_

…

"_I made a promise, and promises are not made to be broken. They are made to be kept. And there's no way I'm not pulling back on a promise I made," I said._

…

…

"_I feel that my purpose in life is not to just act like a child all the time…" I turned my head towards the window, seeing the empty sky that was but a few months ago dark and grey, now beaming with the bright blue hues of the morning sky. I turned my head back to Luka, and finished with a few words: "I want to take care of Miku."_

* * *

><p><em>After a few moments, Luka had already left for the police station. She left Miku and Rin's breakfast on the counter and left me with a few chores to do.<em>

_I scrambled across the corridor and made my way to the guest room. I unlatched the knob and made my way in._

"_Miku-san, are you up yet? Rise and shine! Breakfast is ready," I said in a cheerful voice._

_I opened the windows to let in the morning sun. As I did, the rays came shining down and t__he warm gold light filtered into the room._

_From under the covers, Miku sat up straight; her long, teal hair all messed up._

_She was in a particularly sober mood._

"_I didn't sleep well last night," she finally said._

"_Why so? Is the place not to your liking?" I asked her, quite alarmed._

"_No, it's not that," she corrected me. "I like this place, though it's not like my room back at home. But this is definitely better than anywhere else. And I have you to thank for it, Kagamine-san. You are so kind. I am glad to have made a friend like you."_

_I blushed at her compliment._

…

"_I just had a lot on my mind, that's all," she continued. She stroked her hair slowly and looked wistfully out the window. 'Poor girl,' I thought to myself. 'She must have been going through so much trouble…'_

"_Well, would you like to have breakfast now?" I finally said. "Luka-sama makes the best chocolate pancakes. You'll love it."_

_Her lips curled into a tiny smile._

"_I would love that," she said._

…

_But just as I was about to help her down the bed…_

…

"_Ah!" Miku cried. She stopped moving for a moment and faltered._

"_What happened? Are you alright?" I asked her worriedly._

"_My head… It hurts… Ah!" She cried again. Her face pulled back into a whimper. She was clearly in pain._

…

_What do I do? What do I do?_

_I aided her back to the bed again. "This is bad. Are you feeling anything strange now?" I asked her again._

_I placed the back of my palm at her forehead. "Ah! Your head feels hot. You must have a fever," I exclaimed. "I will go down and get a cold compress for you. Wait here."_

_I dashed down the stairs and located a face towel in the kitchen. I drowsed it in water and ran back immediately to Miku. I rolled the wet face towel, just like what Luka does when I get a fever, and placed it on her forehead._

"_Thank you so much, Kagamine-san," she murmured weakly. "But this isn't a cold compress. You must have used tap water."_

"_Ah!" I exclaimed as soon as I realized my mistake. "I'll go replace it."_

_I immediately retrieved the face towel from her forehead and rushed back downstairs. I pulled a stool to the cupboards and located a bowl. I got down and pulled the stool towards the refrigerator and hoisted myself up to open the freezer. I placed a couple of ice cubes on the bowl and shut the freezer door before I headed to the sink and filled it with water. After that, I plunked in the face towel, waited for a couple of moments before picking up the cold towel and rushing back upstairs._

_I replaced the face towel on her forehead._

"_Is that better?" I told her breathlessly, tired from the work I just did._

"_Yes," she replied weakly. "Thank you."_

"_Thank goodness," I sighed._

…

…

_I sat in silence for a few minutes, watching over Miku. I checked up on her a few times just to see if she was still warm. I replaced her cold compress a couple of times. The whole day I was just there by her side, taking care of her._

"_You know," she said to me one time, "you don't have to do take care of me if you don't want to. I think I can handle myself."_

"_You're sick," I protested. "It's only right for me to take care of you."_

…

"_Thank you, Kagamine-san," she whispered again. "I am in debt to you, Kagamine-san. I am sorry for causing so much trouble for you. Thank you. Did I already tell you that? Thank you. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being there during that time. Thank you for letting me in. Thank you, for even though you had to face against Megurine-san, you still defended me. Thank you for letting me in, and to Megurine-san, too. Thank you for taking care of me."_

…

_Despite the bad condition she was in now, Miku was smiling ever so radiantly now._

…

* * *

><p>This must be why I chose to make that promise.<p>

Like I said earlier, when a promise is broken, there are serious consequences at hand.

…

But when you keep a promise, you will be loved, you will be trusted, and you will feel joy and fulfillment. Having made a promise gives your life a purpose and meaning. It gives you a reason to get up from bed every morning. You will feel important. Doesn't that sound great?

…

So I wasn't turning back on any promise, even that naïve yet noble promise I made when I was five years old.

…

* * *

><p>"<em>Kagamine-san."<em>

_Miku said weakly._

"_Please stay by my side," she whispered._

…

"_I will," I said as I stroked her hair, ever so gently. _

…

_"I promise."_

* * *

><p><em><span>1212/11_

_GAH! That was so fun to write. I have written an unexpectedly long one. Hmm. Oh well. It's to make up for that long absence._

_Next chapter's going to be a big one! Hope I'd have the time to update it before next week. I've got a lot of things I need to do._

_Till then._


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